Brown and Nmecha score on World Cup opener: DFB team beat Curaçao 7-1

For his part, Brown delivered a stellar showing on the left flank. Just two minutes in, the 22-year-old made his first foray into the opposition penalty area, and in the 10th minute he played a piercing through ball to Jamal Musiala for an assist. Brown, who took all right-sided corners with his left foot, also set up Nico Schlotterbeck's header for the 2:1 from a corner in the 38th minute. Boasting roughly 90 percent pass completion, 57 touches and two shots on goal, the Frankfurt man racked up an impressive statistical haul. He reached top speeds of around 36 km/h.

Brown's Gala performance on the left

His personal highlight came when he scored the interim 5:1 with his weaker right foot – which was also his final act before being substituted. The goal carried extra weight as it was his first in a DFB shirt, two days before his 23rd birthday on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. In the stands in Houston, Texas sat his family. After the final whistle, Brown gave an interview on ARD and spoke euphorically about his performance: „Es ist unbeschreiblich, gleich beim ersten WM-Spiel zu treffen. Meine Familie ist da - und wie die Jungs mit mir gejubelt haben, ist einfach unglaublich." He said he had run into the corner: „Ich kann das gar nicht beschreiben, ich bin einfach in die Ecke gerannt."

In the German starting eleven, Brown had recently displaced David Raum from the left-back position. As recently as March, Leon Goretzka and Raum had been considered shoo-ins, but Brown and Nmecha have significantly shifted the picture in recent weeks. In the 7:1 win – at the end it stood at 7:1 for the DFB team – Joshua Kimmich operated as right full-back, drifted inside when his side had possession, and thus gave Nmecha the freedom to push further forward. Florian Wirtz was also among Brown's attacking partners in a formation that bore little resemblance to the cautious lineups of previous tournaments.

Praise from Schweinsteiger, Havertz and Nagelsmann

On ARD, expert Bastian Schweinsteiger, himself a world champion in 2014, praised the full-back's display: „Brown hat super gespielt – von hinten nach vorne. Er hat ein Topspiel abgeliefert." The 2014 world champion rated midfielder Felix Nmecha perhaps a touch higher still. Nmecha himself was visibly moved at the Sportschau microphone: „Das ist schon ein besonderer Moment für mich und meine Familie."

Plenty of praise also came from within the squad. Kai Havertz, the English champion with Arsenal, paid tribute to his young colleague's performance: „Wenn man sieht, wie der Junge arbeitet, jeden Tag. Im ersten WM-Spiel so zu spielen, gleich ein Tor zu machen, ist in seinem Alter überragend. Solche Spieler brauchen wir in der Nationalmannschaft. Deswegen sind wir sehr froh, ihn hier zu haben." Brown had shown a similar style to the one he displays at Eintracht Frankfurt under former coach Albert Riera, it was noted in the analysis. He roams into the center rather than rigidly hugging the touchline – precisely the system favored by Nagelsmann.

Bayern deal and the youngster's background

Head coach Nagelsmann described his protégé as a „ganz lieben Menschen, ganz lieben Kerl, der sehr demütig ist, der sehr wissbegierig ist. Er hat trotzdem auch einen kleinen Schalk im Nacken, was ich sehr gerne mag." Brown had shown an emotional moment, Nagelsmann said: „Ich meine, so einen emotionalen Flash bei ihm gesehen zu haben nach dem Tor." Brown's biggest problem, he added, is „dass er nicht weiß, wie gut er wirklich ist."

Alongside the sporting success, a transfer is in the offing. FC Bayern Munich are reportedly willing to pay more than 50 million euros for the left-back, who will soon be a Bayern left-back and earn the Hessian club a fee of around 55 million euros. Brown, born in Kümmersbruck in the Upper Palatinate, has so far made 59 Bundesliga appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt. In November he made his senior international debut, and in March he earned his first start against Ghana (2:1).

On the sidelines of the match, Brown provided a small anecdote: during the training camp in Franconia, he had initially been unsure whether to address record goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with the formal „Sie" or the informal „du". With his unflappable demeanor, the youngster underlines his claim to greater responsibility. The DFB team is based in Winston-Salem during the tournament. The second group game is scheduled for next Saturday against Ivory Coast in Toronto.

The historical context remains ever present: in 1976, at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, Berti Vogts – by then already a European and world champion – scored his 69th international goal in an 8:0 win over Malta and deliberately missed a penalty because Erich Beer had been designated as the taker. Stories like these lend added depth to the current generational shift – and Brown's debut goal in front of his family's eyes takes its place in a long line of memorable DFB debuts.